CLOUGH WANTS TO USE MIDDLESBROUGH GAME AS AN INCENTIVE FOR FLEETWOOD

NIGEL Clough is looking to use the incentive of playing in the Carabao Cup quarter-final to get League One points at Fleetwood on Saturday.

The Brewers travel to Middlesbrough on Tuesday as they play in the last eight of the competition for the first time in the club’s history

But before that face a testing trip to Fleetwood, who like the Brewers are looking to get points and move towards the play-off paces.

The Brewers manager said: “I don’t want the lads to put Middlesbrough out of their minds. I want them to think about it and look forward to it.

“I want them to go into Saturday with the attitude that we want to get a point or three, certainly not lose, and then go to Middlesbrough on Tuesday. I want it to be there in their minds as an incentive. Also they know if they play well at Fleetwood they have a chance of playing in the quarter finals of the league cup. That should be every player’s ambition.

“If you are backing out of a 50-50 on Saturday you certainly won’t be playing at Middlesbrough. As important as Tuesday is, we want to get something on Saturday.”

Joey Barton is the manager of Fleetwood, a high-profile appointment for the ambitious former non-league club.

Clough says: “The hype was always going to settle down unless they ran away with it at the top of the league which with the form of the top four is unlikely for anyone else to do that. I’m sure he will be pleased it has settled down and that he can get on with doing the job.

“He has only been in the job 20 odd games and he is quite inexperienced in management but has bags of experience from a playing perspective. He will be learning every day, as we all still are.”